Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Prescient Dec 01, 2014 18:48:27	Not having an Arcane Archer in the core set seems to me to be a huge oversight. Here's my adaptation of the Eldritch Knight to representing it. I'm doing this using the DMG guidelines for adjusting classes and specializations. Arcane Archer <insert setting-specific fluff here> Spellcasting <as Eldritch Knights> Eldritch Bow You can use a bow or crossbow as an arcane focus for your Arcane Archer spells. Magic Arrow At 7rd level, you learn how to combine your archery and arcane expertises. Every piece of ammunition you loose from a bow or crossbow is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. After an attack is resolved, the ammunition returns to its normal, non-magical form. Imbue Arrow At 10th level, you gain the ability to imbue your arrow with a 2nd level or lower spell that is touch range or has an area of effect, casting it as a bonus action. An imbued arrow requires concentration to maintain, just like a spell with the concentration duration, and lasts for 1 minute, after which the spell charge dissipates and the spell slot used to cast it is lost. The next time you make a ranged weapon attack, you cast the spell on the target. If the spell has an area of effect, treat the target as the area of the spell. If the spell does not require an attack roll to hit, select a spot within your weapon range to caste the spell. After the spell is cast, the piece of ammunition returns to its normal, non-magical form. Phase Arrow At 15th level, you can use one of your 1st level or higher spells to ignore non-magical cover (including total cover) between you and your target. You must still be able to know the location of the target. Improved Imbue Arrow Starting at 18th level, you can use your bonus action to imbue an arrow with a 4th level or lower spell. Any thoughts? Personally, I feel that a Paladin's smite spells would do the job much better (renamed and added as optional spells in the Eldritch Knight's list), but this is working within the realm of not changing, or creating new, spells.
#2 Kentus Dec 01, 2014 19:09:49	I suppose it's meant to be a fighter subclass here. For the start, it seems to be reasonable, but somehow lacking in the sweet department. Imbue Arrow should be one of the first traits to learn.   And I think the problem with the Arcane Archer so far would be, in which class you should put it, since fighter, ranger and wizard seems to be reasonable choices for one reason or another. ;)
#3 Macv12 Dec 01, 2014 19:12:28	Magic Arrow doesn't seem like a big benefit. Monk has that because unarmed attacks, by definition, can't get the benefit of a magic weapon. An Arcane Archer who finds a magic bow or quiver has nothing to look forward to at lvl7. Give the feature some meat! Reroll attacks X times /rest, because magic homing arrows? Change the damage type of arrows 1/day to exploit weaknesses?   I don't think the EK spell list has even a single Touch spell, aside from cantrips. You'd have to take a very small number of such spells (like 1 or 2 for most of your career) for your non-school-restricted options to make that part matter. Using Thunderwave or Burning Hands at range seems to be the primary use of this class, and you already have Shatter and Fireball. Especially since this isn't the Eldritch Knight, you shouldn't fell like you can't make a new spell list just for the archer. Ranger has a few attractive options, as well.   I think you may be better off just making a Paladin option that lets all their smite abilities work with ranged weapons as well as / instead of melee ones. But then your Lay on Hands and auras would conflict with the ranged play style...so it's hard to say. The standard Eldritch Knight already works fine at range, since they get a very simple "cast a spell then use a weapon" feature that doesn't care about weapon type, and is functionally about the same as your Imbue Arrow feature. I think you'd need a carefully chosen spell list to justify the existence of this as a separate class.
(Reply to #3) Prescient	Macv12 wrote: